FateResonance
by AssassinServant
Summary: The 4th Holy Grail War of Fuyuki City is to begin. But, who is to say that the Servants summoned would need to be from history? 4th War AU, Servants are fictional characters from various fandoms.
1. Chapter 1: The Summoning

Hello, so this is my first attempt at posting a fanfiction here, um, let me know if it's any good! Fate/Zero and related fandoms do not belong to me, nor do any of the other fandoms in this work (which shall remain unnamed until the characters from those fandoms are revealed, of course!)

So, please read and review, leave comments in the comment box!

* * *

Chapter 1: The Summoning

* * *

-Assassin-

Kotomine Kirei looked down upon his servant, somewhat bemused.

After all, he had expected to enter a competition between powerful heroes of old. Well, he noted, he was summoning from the Assassin class – no doubt the Servants of that class would be far less glamorous than those of other classes.

Still, he had not expected to summon what appeared to be, for all intents and purposes, a little girl.

Assassin had a small, slight frame which couldn't belong to anyone older than thirteen. She wore a pleated black skirt over long, black stockings. On her torso was a formal white blouse with a grey collar. She wore her long, black hair down and loose – absently, Kotomine noted that such hair was somewhat unsuited to combat. All in all, she didn't look that much different from an ordinary middle school student.

Yet two things alerted the priest otherwise. One, the violet gem embedded in her left hand. He might only be an average Magus, but Kotomine Kirei had studied under the famed Tohsaka Tokiomi – and whatever this gem was, it held more power than he'd ever seen sealed inside a single jewel.

More than that, however, there was something in her deep, violet eyes. Something in the way she stood – a sort of resolution inside her. A grim determination, tempered by pain and sorrow – something that Kotomine had only seen in people twice her age, at the very least. That grim, determined look was something that should never be seen in the eyes of one so young.

* * *

-Lancer-

Kayneth of the Archibald family, the Lord El-Melloi, was not pleased.

The catalyst with which he'd attempted to summon a powerful Servant had been stolen from him, for one. Two, his efforts to acquire a new one had exposed him to his enemies as a Master far earlier than he'd have preferred.

"Hey, boss, I'll need a little more here," the voice of a boy said.

Oh yes, and the third thing. His Servant. Lancer was a younger man, with long, golden hair tied back in a braid, with matching intense, golden eyes. He wore a bright red jacket with a large emblem on its back over his simple black uniform. He also wore white gloves, for whatever reason – as if a Servant's identity could be revealed by their hands.

Oh, and he was as insufferable as he was short.

"I am not your caterer, Lancer," Kayneth snarled. "I am-"

"My master, Kayneth Archibald, the Lord El-Melloi, yeah, yeah," Lancer waved his hand dismissively. "We both know that you're basically useless here without me." He put his feet up on the table, as if to add further insult.

"Why you…" The temptation to use a Command Spell here was rather severe. Deep breaths, Kayneth, this isn't the time to get frustrated over such trivial matters. Besides, the last time Kayneth had insulted his Servant, he'd been rather unceremoniously thrown across the room, and that was all kinds of unpleasant.

He took a deep breath. "Lancer, is there a point to this insubordination?"

The blond Servant shrugged. "Probably your high horse and that stick shoved up your ass."

That struck a nerve. "Insolent little…"

"Enough," interrupted a soft female voice, as Kayneth's fiancée, Sola-Ui, stepped into the room. "I swear, both of you act like children sometimes."

Lancer was about to retort to that, but a single glare from Sola-Ui silenced both him and his Master. Neither of them were quite sure how she had ended up the senior partner in this relationship, but here we are. She sighed. "Shouldn't we be focused on strategy for the war? Besides, Lancer, you don't even need to eat."

Master and Servant alike looked down sheepishly. Lancer muttered some final curses before joining Kayneth and Sola-Ui at the strategy table.

* * *

-Rider-

A figure, clad in black finery trimmed with rich red velvet stood up from the centre of the circle. Long, wavy, dark blue hair cascaded from his head. He had a pointed, immaculately groomed goatee, and unsettling, intense, mismatched eyes; one an emerald green, the other a bright, bloody red. Those eyes stared down at the young man as the mouth opened, revealing sharp, pointed teeth as he spoke:

"I ask of you," he said, in a rich, low, smooth voice, "Are you my Master?"

Before him, the young Magus Waver Velvet stood up, presenting the red Command Seals on his wrist. "Yes." He said. "I am your Master."

The aristocratic spirit smiled. "Good." He stepped out of the shadows of the woods where Waver had summoned him. All aspects of his appearance were striking, but most of all was his skin, a blue matching that of the sky. Inwardly, Waver cursed. He couldn't just explain away this alien-looking Servant as a relative.

"Er…" Waver paused. "What class of Servant are you?"

The spirit raised an eyebrow. "You mean to say you summoned me without even knowing my class?" A bemused smile took his face, as he shrugged. "Very well. I am the Servant Rider."

Rider, eh? Well, he shouldn't be so surprised – no way was a weak Magus like him powerful enough to summon one of the Knight Classes. He opened his mouth to ask another question, but Rider raised a gloved hand.

"You wish to know my identity, which is understandable; but it is foolish. A secret known is one easily plucked – one unknown cannot be revealed." Rider smiled down at his Master with the smoothness and ease of an actor. "You have a dream you wish to realize – thus, you have become my Master. So, then, what is your wish?"

Waver nodded shakily, clearing his throat. "I-I wish for those backwards idiots at the Association to take me seriously. I…I want respect."

At his words, inwardly, Rider smiled wickedly. Yes, this one would do nicely.

Outwardly, he nodded. "A worthy wish, my Master."

* * *

-Archer-

Tohsaka Tokiomi nodded at the three in front of him, in the candle-lit darkness of his study. "With Kotomine apparently out of the running, you, Assassin, will be able to work from the shadows."

While Kotomine and Assassin nodded in their usually quiet fashion, Tokiomi's own Servant, Archer, looked a bit uncomfortable.

Tokiomi nodded. "Very well, Archer, do you object to this plan?"

Archer stood up, adjusting her blue cap. Archer was a shorter individual with short, dark blue hair. They wore a blue jacket, buttoned up over plaid blue pants. An acute, analytic stare was always in their bright blue eyes, on their boyish face, like there was something they were always trying to figure out.

"The very beginning of the war, Tohsaka Tokiomi's student betrays him and attempts to assassinate him? That just screams 'suspicious'." Archer's voice was calm, measured. "And then, I am to notice Assassin before she even reaches the interior of the house? Too risky – they'll see my fighting style, as well, and think of countermeasures. If I'm to be your primary combat Servant, Tohsaka, then it would be better if I were to remain an unknown factor until we are forced to participate in a proper battle."

Assassin nodded, agreeing with Archer's summary. "Indeed, Archer is correct. That conspicuous an attack, from an Assassin Servant just seems unlikely."

Tokiomi frowned, unconvinced. "Do you have a better plan, then, Archer?"

A small smile crossed their face. "As a matter of fact, due to the nature of my Noble Phantasm, yes. I do."

* * *

-Berserker-

Matou Kariya looked once again on his Servant, doubtfully.

Certainly, he _said _he was a Berserker, but what sort of a Berserker was this? He had a mop of messy, short brown hair matching his bright brown eyes. He wore a skin-tight, dark blue bodysuit over his frail, skinny frame. A sort of grey battle harness of design occupied his upper chest and shoulders, with the numbers "01" written in blocky script on the center of his chest.

What sort of Berserker had the frame of a small boy? And what of that 'rage' that the Berserker class was supposed to posess? This boy looked like he was about to cry whenever Kariya even spoke too loudly.

A failure of a Servant, no doubt – just as Kariya was a failure.

No doubt Zouken was laughing about this, the bastard…

"Um…" Berserker seemed nervous anytime he so much as talked to his Master. "I…I may not be the strongest Servant, but I-I will do my best, Master."

Kariya turned to respond, then grimaced as another spasm of pain wracked his ruined nerves. Berserker glanced away, muttering an apology under his breath, again.

Why did this Berserker keep apologizing? It was probably his own fault, his own pathetic failure as a Magus that led him to summon such a weak Servant.

As Master and Servant stumbled out of the Matou mansion into the rain – as Zouken was not allowing an abject failure like Kariya to stay inside their house – the youngest member of the household, the young Matou Sakura, looked up at the two.

Though she knew nothing of magecraft, the attunement to magic that had flooded her circuits every time Grandfather shoved her down into that…training, she could feel the powerful waves of energy coming off Berserker. Whatever he might think of himself, whatever Kariya couldn't see, there was a power behind Berserker that neither of them even began to dream of.

* * *

-Caster-

Uryuu Ryuunosuke, famed demon and serial killer, was ecstatic. The circle of blood on the floor flared with ruby light, the blood shining like jewels, as a torrent of energy, or whatever it was, flared inside it. Was this really true? Was he really going to summon a demon, here and now?

Oh yes, oh yes, and the demon would eat the child, yes, yes, he wanted to see it. The blood, the hate, fear of the child in its eyes as the light faded, yes…

Then, the light stopped, a man standing in the center. Ryuunosuke fell back, in reverence for the hateful being that had come forth. Anyone who would come forth from such a ritual had to be a monster, just as he was.

The man was tall, with an imperious, arrogant look in his green eyes. He had long, black hair which only made him look more blue-blooded. He wore a green-and-gold outfit, bits of it looking like they were made of leather, or whatever. Ryuunosuke didn't really know whatever it was. Frankly, he expected a demon to look a little more…horrific?

But still, he was not one to be judgmental. "Here, oh great demon, a gift for you." Ryuunosuke stepped aside, revealing the child tied to a chair, his eyes widening in fear at the imperious man who had appeared before him.

The man looked down at the child with disdain, then down at the serial killer's hand. "So, this groveling fool is to be my Master...I suppose it can't be helped." He raised his hand, a long, bladed, golden staff with a glowing, blue jewel, and touched it to the fearful child's chest.

Ryuunosuke's eyes widened, the grin on his face evident…then falling, as the child's eyes turned bright blue, and he failed to die. "Awww, why didn't you kill him? Do you want me to do it?"

The man glared down at his new Master. "I have made this child my thrall. He will serve us as our eyes and ears, for who would suspect a mere child to be part of the Holy Grail War."

The red-haired killer tilted his head. "Grail War? What's that?"

Caster sighed. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

-Saber-

Irisviel von Einzbern smiled down at her family, at her husband, Emiya Kiritsugu, at her beautiful little daughter Illyasviel. How happy they looked, playing together in the snow. How even Kiritsugu, that broken man, had smiled when Illya had demanded he go outside and play with her.

A tinge of sadness touched her smile, however, when she realized that this really would be the last time she saw them like this. The last time she'd see Kiritsugu happy, the last time she'd see her beautiful daughter.

She had to be strong. For Kiritsugu. She was created with one purpose, and yet Kiritsugu helped her live as more than just a tool. For that, Irisviel would be forever grateful. Yet, for Kiritsugu's purpose, she needed to fulfill her destiny, painful as it may be.

Kiritsugu's Servant also looked down, her deep, blue eyes gazing down upon that scene. Truth be told, Saber found it hard to believe that Emiya Kiritsugu, of all people, could truly love his family. Perhaps, however, she was wrong.

After all, if there was anything she understood, it was the love of family. Perhaps she and Emiya were not too dissimilar, after all. Saber brushed a lock of her long, blue hair out of her face. "Irisviel, you are certain of this?"

Irisviel nodded. "I am. Kiritsugu's wish is something more important than even me."

Saber sighed, her blue cape flapping as she turned away from the window. How much this family loved one another, how much they reminded her of her own.

Before…Saber shook her head. If her Master's wish was truly so worthy, then she would help him however she could. "Very well. Are you ready to leave?"

Irisviel nodded, as she stood up, as Saber looked out the window again.

She had to win, she thought, as she fastened her blue steel mask across her face.

For her father.


	2. Chapter 2: The Operation

Alright! Again, Fate and all other works here don't belong to me!

* * *

Chapter 2: The Operation

* * *

The night was dark and silent. The only audial presence was the light rustling of leaves in the wind.

An eerie hush spread over the lush landscape. All was silent at the Tohsaka Estate.

And then…

"Assassin, begin the operation," spoke a voice from the shadows.

A shadow dropped from the leaves, saying not a word. As it stepped out, the slight form of the Servant Assassin was revealed.

To all who were watching this, it appeared as if Kotomine Kirei had turned against his old teacher and meant to eliminate him from the Holy Grail War. It could be no one but Kotomine, even if he was not visible – no one else would be willing to attack the Tohsaka estate directly, so early in the Holy Grail War. Not without knowing what defenses a genius such as Tohsaka Tokiomi had put into play.

Assassin stepped, soundlessly, into the gardens, barely slipping past the protective boundary field. Just when it appeared she was to impact with the rotating orbs again, suddenly, she wasn't there – she had slipped in an instant to another gap in the boundary fields. It was not acrobatics; no, it was as if Assassin had vanished and reappeared in the blink of an eye.

She reached out towards the glowing red jewel that powered the array of boundary fields.

A flash of light erupted from the ground around Assassin's feet, sending a jolt of energy through her body. She glared up at the figure that had appeared in the window of the grand Tohsaka mansion. The figure was humanoid, wearing a blue waistcoat with large gold buttons and a yellow tie. A saber of purest light appeared in the figure's bandaged hand, projected from a steel rod. Its face was concealed behind a blue, bug-like mask – unless that really was its face. On its back, it wore a cape fashioned like a butterfly's wings.

To those familiars which both Assassin and Kotomine knew were watching, it would appear as if that figure were Tohsaka's Servant.

The figure raised its sword to unleash another torrent of light, but Assassin was gone before the attack even struck. Its head swiveled, scanning for where Assassin had gone.

And then it narrowly avoided taking a rocket to the face.

The Reinforcement on Tokiomi's mansion held, of course. Assassin frowned. This being was fast – not as fast as she was, maybe, but fast enough to make any attack difficult.

Its head swiveled around, spotting her again. A bolt of black energy came off the thing's sword, Assassin barely dodging it.

And leaving a little gift for the being before appearing right back where she was.

Another explosion wracked the area, this time knocking the figure from its perch, it falling to the ground. It stood back up, attempting to spot the girl again.

To any who looked, this looked surprising. After all, how could an Assassin be holding her own against an Archer? Yet, as it went on, Assassin's attacks slowly but surely outstripped her opponent's. Each of the thing's frantic blasts of darkness and light connected with nothing, while Assassin's precise strikes nearly all hit their mark. The blue form of the guardian was covered with scratches and burns, while Assassin's slight form bore nary a scratch.

The thing was clearly getting frustrated. It had gathered itself and was preparing to unleash one final attack. Another eruption of light at Assassin's feet, and a maximized bolt of darkness shot from it. This would have paralyzed her, and destroyed her body.

That is, if Assassin had been anywhere nearby.

Assassin appeared right behind her opponent, rocket launcher in hand. A bang, and there was nothing left.

She landed on the ground gracefully, and stepped into the Tohsaka mansion.

* * *

Tohsaka Tokiomi stepped before the Fuyuki Church, as his protegé's father, Kotomine Risei, opened the door. "I, Tohsaka Tokiomi, as a Master in the Holy Grail War of Fuyuki, seek refuge."

"As administrator of the Fuyuki City Holy Grail War, I, Kotomine Risei, accept your plea." Tokiomi stepped into the building, and Risei closed the door behind him.

An androgynous voice spoke from a corner in the church. "So, I take it the plan worked?" Archer stepped out of the darkness, rubbing their chin in thought.

Tokiomi nodded. "They should believe that you, Archer, have been eliminated from the War, as have I." He paused, sitting down in the pews. "Truth be told, I did not expect your plan to work."

Archer shrugged. "It was a gamble – if it was recognized that Sukuna-Hikona was not your Servant, then our endeavors would have been useless. Oh, and give Assassin my best – she performed admirably in our façade."

The Master smiled. He should have expected no less brilliance – after all, he had summoned the famed Detective Prince.

* * *

Inside his home, Waver Velvet frowned. He hadn't exactly expected an Assassin Servant to win a pitched battle against another Servant, let alone a Knight Class as that one had to be. Given its fighting style, it had to be an Archer or a Saber – though it didn't really use that blade it had. Maybe just an energy projection as part of its Noble Phantasm?

Waver dismissed his worries. That was one Servant eliminated, wasn't it? What he should be worried about was Assassin.

He flopped down on his bed. No matter how he looked at it, there was basically no way to strategize without learning his Servant's capabilities. "Rider," he called.

The blue-skinned Servant materialized at his side, lazily slouched in his usual manner, drinking a glass of wine. Waver wasn't quite sure where he had got it, but whatever. "Yes, Master?" he said, after a self-indulgent pause.

Rider had a sort of untouchable, aristocratic air to everything he did. Hell, this guy managed to even _slouch_ gracefully. Waver wasn't sure whether that annoyed or fascinated him. "You watched the fight between Assassin and the Tohsaka Servant, right?"

A nod. "Assassin seems a formidable foe. Her…ability would mean trouble if she were to find us." He sipped from his wine glass. "Of course, she will be unable to inflict harm upon my person, but if she were to slip past me…"

Waver gulped. Rider didn't need to elaborate. "T-then, what should we do?"

Rider sighed. "It is rather obvious. The most tactically sound decision is for you to remain at home, unseen. You are not a known Magus, and the Mackenzies are not-"

"No."

The Servant's mismatched eyes glanced down upon their Master, eyebrows raised. "Oh?"

"I refuse to just sit at home like a weakling and just…watch, like an idiot." Waver's hands were trembling in anger. "I can't just stay here and let the grown-ups do all the work! That'd be just like admitting that _he_ was right all along!"

And there Rider saw within Waver's dark green eyes, fire. Fire the likes of which he hadn't seen since...

His lips cracked into a wicked smile, baring his fangs. Waver flinched, but did not look away. "So, Waver Velvet, you will not sit back and watch while another man accomplishes your dream for you? You are admirable, if naïve." He stood up, an emerald-tipped cane appearing in his gloved hand. "Very well, then. We shall step outside, together. And you, my young Master, will see truly how dreams are achieved." He paused, emphatically, before that malefic, vampiric grin appeared on his face one more time. "By fire and sword."

* * *

Matou Kariya stumbled, clutching his useless right arm, shambling through the alleys.

It hurt. It hurt. It hurt. Everything. Pain.

Sometimes it was just a dull, omnipresent reminder of exactly why he was here and what he was risking.

Other times it was intense, sharp, overwhelming. As if nothing else existed but him and the worms inside him. Those times never lasted, but they were unbearable when they did.

How could that monster that he called grandfather do such a thing to a poor, innocent child? How could anyone be so selfish?

Berserker kept asking, again and again, to help. Always asking to do something for him. He didn't deserve it. Didn't deserve any of this. The pain. Or Berserker's help. Stupid.

But had to win. For Sakura. For her.

Berserker looked up at him. Every time Kariya so much as coughed, Berserker would apologize. Not his fault. Not anyone's fault. Except Grandfather. That monster. His fault.

"Master, please," Berserker spoke again in that light, weak voice. "You're in pain. There has to be something for me to do that I could help-"

Kariya simply shot Berserker a glare. He didn't want this boy's damn pity. Nothing. Just to save Sakura…and to claim that Tohsaka bastard's head.

The boy looked down and whispered and apology, and Kariya ignored him, again. And yet, Kotomine had already robbed him of that. _Tohsaka_ was already defeated, and was hiding like the cowardly bastard he was.

Damn it. Damn it. It hurt. It hurt.

Damn Tohsaka, damn Kotomine, damn Zouken, damn Berserker, damn all of them.

* * *

Irisviel von Einzbern stepped out of the airplane, smiling her sunny smile at all her surroundings. Saber felt somewhat bemused at her excitement, adjusting her opaque, black sunglasses. "You seem rather excited."

She turned, and gave Saber a cheerful nod. "This is the first time I've ever been outside the mansion. I never expected that there would just be, well," She took a breath – a breath she seemed to relish just as much as the visual spectacle of her surroundings – "so _much_ here."

Saber was taken aback. She knew that her Master's wife was sheltered, but she had never really understood exactly to what degree. "I'm sorry, I didn't..."

But Irisviel just smiled at Saber. "It's okay, you didn't know."

Was it, though? No. "That's it. This war may have started, but first, there is something more important. We are having a night out."

Irisviel tilted her head. "A night out? Wouldn't that be dangerous?"

"Not really." She gave a confident smile. "You have the strongest Servant in this war protecting you. I give you my promise, Irisviel von Einzbern, that so long as I live, no harm shall come to you or to Kiritsugu." Sure, it was a little overblown, but it was only what a knight such as herself was obligated. "So, shall we go?"

"How gallant." She took her Servant's arm, and walked with her to the beach.

They spent a few hours there, just idling the time away. Talking of Irisviel, of Kiritsugu, of times past.

And then, they noticed, a signal up in the sky. Though she may have been inexperienced, Irisviel recognized what it signified.

"A challenge." Saber noted, just as Irisviel was about to point it out. "We don't need to take the bait, if necessary, Irisviel."

She shook her head. "No. Saber, are you ready?"

A small smile took her face. "Yes."

* * *

Rider frowned. "Arrogant, of them, to issue a challenge so early in the War." He sighed. "And yet, as a gentleman, I am compelled to answer it." He smirked, as he pulled a blade from his cane. "Come, Waver Velvet. I will show you the reality of war."

Waver, shaking, could only nod.


End file.
